If you’ve joined us here on this blog today, it’s likely that you have an interest in psychedelic therapy, or perhaps you’re a curious mushroom enthusiast. Mushrooms can help us grow and self actualize, and, as it turns out, we can help mushrooms grow too.
We are currently experiencing a resurgence of psychedelic interest, specifically surrounding the medicinal properties of psychedelic mushrooms. With the influx of clinical and academic inquiry into the world of psychedelia, it can be refreshing to cultivate these medicines using our number one apothecary: Mother Earth.
While it may not be practical to suggest that you go out foraging for mushrooms, we’re here to give you our best recommendations for sourcing psychedelic mushroom grow kits, so you can make your next trip a DIY project. Besides, mushrooms make great conversation pieces and partners to house plants!
The History of Mushroom Grow Kits
The use of mushroom grow kits has become a popular trend among those interested in cultivating their own mushrooms. While it is possible to grow mushrooms from scratch, the process can be challenging and requires specific knowledge and access to the right terrain.
The history of mushroom grow kits dates back to the 1970s when two mycologists, Terrance and Dennis McKenna, popularized the growing of magic mushrooms indoors using an early version of a grow kit called “mckennaii.”
This sparked the use of the strain Psilocybe cubensis for personal cultivation, which is still popular today. In the 1990s, Billy McPherson, also known as Professor Fanaticus, pioneered and popularized the most popular method for growing Psilocybe cubensis called Psylocybe Fanaticus Tek (FT).
This process involves inoculating a sterilized substrate, originally organic rye seeds but now commonly brown rice flour, with a liquid culture to provide optimal birthing or fruiting conditions for the spore spawns.
The PF Tek technique is essentially an entheogenic extraction method that follows a similar manner of sterilizing the substrate of choice in canning jars with a layer of liquid culture, often vermiculite.
The process has become the world’s most popular method for growing magic mushrooms. Mushroom grow kits have evolved over time, and many companies now offer a range of options for growing different types of mushrooms.
These kits are designed to make mushroom cultivation accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of experience or knowledge. They typically come with all the necessary materials, including spores, substrate, and instructions, making it easy for anyone to grow their own mushrooms at home.
Grow kits are available in different sizes, ranging from small kits that produce a few mushrooms to larger kits that can produce enough mushrooms for several servings. Some kits even come with grow tents that provide a controlled environment for the mushrooms to grow, ensuring optimal growing conditions and a higher yield.
The Legality of Mushroom Grow Kits
It’s important to note that mushroom grow kits themselves are legal in many countries, including the United States and many European countries. These kits typically contain all the materials needed to grow mushrooms, including a substrate, but don’t contain any psychedelic mushroom spores.
In the United States, possession of psilocybin spores is not prohibited because they don’t contain psilocybin or psilocin. This means that in most states, it is legal to possess psilocybin spores, but only for research purposes.
In states where possession of psilocybin mushrooms is legal or decriminalized, it may also be legal to use psilocybin spores for cultivation purposes, and therefore it is legal to inoculate grow kits with psilocybin spores.
However, in states where psilocybin mushrooms are not legal or decriminalized, spores may still be legal, but the act of growing psilocybin-containing mushrooms can still lead to legal repercussions.
For example, in the United States, cultivation of psilocybin-containing mushrooms is considered a felony offense under federal law, regardless of whether the mushrooms are grown for personal use or sale.
In conclusion, mushroom grow kits are legal in many countries, including the United States. However, the legal status of using spores to inoculate mushroom grow kits is dependent on local laws.
Benefits of Using a Psychedelic Mushroom Grow Kit
Psychedelic mushroom grow kits offer several benefits to those interested in growing their choice of psychedelic medicine. One of the main benefits is that these kits simplify the process of cultivating mushrooms by providing all the necessary materials in one convenient package.
The kits usually come with pre-sterilized grain spawn, such as rye, wheat, or millet, as well as spores and substrate. This eliminates the need for the grower to track down all the necessary components and streamlines the cultivation process. It’s like having a meal kit delivery service, but for growing mushrooms!
Another benefit of using a grow kit is that it provides a reasonable amount of mushrooms, which can be useful for those who are interested in microdosing. Microdosing is the practice of taking small doses of psychedelics to improve mood, creativity, and productivity, among other things. By having a small supply of mushrooms on hand, individuals can easily measure out their doses and experiment with different dosages to find what works best for them.
Cultivating mushrooms indoors involves replicating the natural environment in which mushrooms grow and live outdoors. Mushrooms start as “spawns” of spores that exist inside other naturally growing flora and draw out nutrients from their host plant. Edible and medicinal fungi flourish in substrates like grains or rice, which provide the nutrients needed for growth.
Like any living and growing thing, mushrooms need proper care and attention to thrive. This is where grow kits come in handy, as they often include grow tents that provide a controlled environment for the mushrooms to grow. This ensures optimal growing conditions and a higher yield.
While more experienced cultivators may use specialized devices to grow larger supplies, grow kits are a great option for those who are new to mushroom cultivation or looking for a simplified process. They also provide a great starting point for those interested in learning more about growing mushrooms and the benefits of microdosing.
Choosing The Best Psilocybin Mushroom Grow Kits
Below, we’ve compiled a list of our tried and true mushroom grow kits. These companies and their products meet the needs of even a novice mycologist. We recommend choosing a kit from a trusted company that responds to clients inquiries and provides feedback along your growing journey.
Note that most mushroom grow kits do not include spores. As such, you will have to purchase spores separately, but many sellers of grow kits will provide you with recommendations for buying premium spores to pair with their kits.
We recommend following professional advice for purchasing spores, and always keep in mind safety recommendations and guidelines as you go about growing and consuming magic mushrooms. Here are some top recommendations for mushroom grow kits along with superlatives we’ve given them to help narrow, focus, and guide your search:
Midwest Grow Kits
If there’s one thing you can expect from a company out of Woodstock, Illinois to know, it’s mushrooms. Midwest Grow Kits has been in the cultivation business and accruing a loyal following since 2004. Their Simple Mushroom Grow Kit is just that: simple, affordable (at $55), and effective.
This kit is highly rated by customers and includes a helpful grow guide. Midwest Grow also offers attentive customer service by phone, live chat, or email – which is a major perk to look out for when choosing a grow kit. Despite their regional name, they do ship both nationally and globally. They also provide trustworthy recommendations for where to purchase your spores.
North Spore
North Spore is a highly endorsed USDA-certified team of mycologists aiming to make the world of mushrooms accessible to everyone. As urban mushroom farmers, North Spore puts a heavy emphasis on sustainability practices such as sourcing and providing natural, organic, and non-GMO materials.
Additionally, North Spore is committed to values of wellness for humanity, the environment, and the ecosystem. They are on a mission to revitalize the food system by empowering people to grow and produce their own edible and medicinal mushrooms.
In other words, mushrooms really can save the world, and North Spore is here to help you do it. The integrity and innovation at the heart of this company is naturally a big sell for purchasing one of their various grow kits. There are many options to choose from.
North Spore is geared to both amateur and advanced mushroom farmers alike, but not as much to magic mushroom growers. Since possession and cultivation of spores is still illegal in many U.S. regions, North Spore does not provide information on where to purchase psilocybin spores to use with their grow kits.
Final Thoughts
Some say that raising and nurturing something yourself, like plants and fungi, helps you form a more intimate connection to it, and creating a closer connection to yourself and the medicine is what psychedelic therapy is all about.
If you’re ready to explore how psychedelic therapy can help you on your own personal healing or growth journey, we encourage and empower you to check our resources page and book a consultation with our network of professional psychedelic guides and facilitators. We look forward to helping you embody your most fruitful self!
